Separated
by bballqueen15
Summary: This picks up right after the movie. It is my idea of what should happen next. Please read it, the summary is lame I know, just read it. Trust me. It's AMAZIFYING!
1. Seperated

Ok, this is just the first chapter, so more to come if people like it. Hope you enjoy, I had fun writing it!

"So brother, how are we going to destroy this side of the gate

"So brother, how are we going to destroy this side of the gate?" Al asked his brother once they were both safely on the other side of the gate.

"We are going set off a reaction that will destroy it, but not before we go back through." Ed replied.

Al looked at him curiously. "You can get us back through?"

"Yes." Ed lied.

"Brother! That is great news! We must hurry before they close it on the other end!" Al exclaimed.

Ed nodded, and they both set to work. There was one rocket left. It was smaller, and would only have enough power to get one person through the gate, barely. But Al didn't know that. With help from the soldiers still there, Ed and Al positioned the rocket, and set up the explosives, in a half an hour.

Before they were completely finished though, Al called out frantically to his brother. As Ed walked up to the direction his brother's voice called out from, the soldiers parted before them. Al was crouched over the cold body of his double. Ed turned his face away, and silently walked off. He could not bear to see Al dead, whether it be his brother, or the friend that was like one to him. It just reminded him of what he could of lost. What he could still lose. What he was about to lose.

"Come one Al, there isn't anything we can do for him. We have to hurry." Al took one last look at non-seeing eyes, then turned to follow his brother.

Everything was set up. The explosives were ready, and Al was positioned in the rocket, ready for his brother to join him. Al didn't completely understand how the rocket worked, but her understood, that he had to start the rocket from inside, a few seconds before Al told him to, so that the timing would be just right.

At a nod from his brother, he started the engines like he was showed to, and then Ed started the explosives, and jumped down to the first level. Al knew something wasn't right. Ed wasn't supposed to start the explosives; there wouldn't be enough time. He tried to open the door and jump out of the rocket, but it was locked on the outside. _I won't start the rocket_, he thought, _I won't let this happen after all we have been through. _But he realized he had no idea how to stop the launch. And that it could be controlled outside. Ed was going to send him back.

He unbuckled the belt that would have strapped him in. "NO! Brother No! Ed! You can't do this! Stop! Please! Please Ed. Please! Don't do this! Don't Ed!" Al screamed as loud as he could, as hard as he could. Ed just stood there staring at him. Tears streamed down Al's cheeks as he begged his brother to stop. Ed picked up a small box with a cord connecting it to the control center, and motioned for him to do the same. Al searched for the box, and found it.

Ed's voice came through it. "To talk to me, press the button on the left. I am sorry brother. Only one of us can fit. You deserve to go back. After all we have been through. After all that happened to you, because of me, and all of my selfish ideas, you deserve to be with the ones we loved over there. You, need to go back."

"Brother! All I want to do is be with you! Don't take away the only thing I want!" Al pleaded.

"Al promise me something?" Ed asked quietly.

Al looked over at his brother while he talked. Quiet tears were flowing freely down his face. Ed never broke eye contact with him. "No. No Brother."

"I need you to promise, that you will never forget me." Ed said quietly. "Never forget what happened."

"No. No. NO! Brother, please it doesn't have to be like this." Al cried as he spoke.

"Tell Winrey," Ed paused, "Tell her that I am sorry. I won't forget her, her grandmother, or everything she has done for us. For me. Can you tell Mustang something too? Thank him. If not for him, nothing would have happened. Tell him that although I have always acted as though I hated him, that he is an honorable man, and that he will always have my respect. Please do that for me." Ed asked.

"Ed you can't do this. You can't. You can't." Al just kept repeating that sentence over and over again. "You can't."

"Al?"

"Brother."

"Have a good life ok? You take care of yourself." Ed said solemnly

Al just stared at him, unbelievingly, "You bastard! You can't do this. This isn't your choice! It is ours! You stop it now!" Al yelled into the radio as he cried uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry. Please find it yourself to one day forgive me. Don't try to come back through. This end will be closed. You will die. Don't try. Just live your life, and I will do the same. I will still be with you. In your memories. In your actions. And you will be with me too."

Ed put down the radio and buried his hands into his face for a moment, before he looked into his brother's shocked face. Al was shaking his head. There was a jerk as the rocket began to rise, slowly, then quickly. Ed watched his brother, the whole way up, and Al's face watched back, both of them shaking with tears. The rocket tip touched the middle of the gate, then the rest seemed to melt into the stone ceiling. Ed watched until it was completely gone, the mouthed the words "Goodbye Al," before the bombs went off, and the gate was destroyed for good.

Please Review!!


	2. Back Again

Mustang had waited long enough

Mustang had waited long enough. He had kept Armstrong here to help him, but could not keep waiting for the impossible. They were not coming back. Originally his thought had been, that the clever brothers would come back through, but over an hour had passed, and they weren't coming. He had to close the gate now. Hawkeye and the others were waiting, and Armstrong still didn't know why he was asking to stay. He called them over.

"We have to close the gate now. Armstrong, I will need your help." Mustang informed them all quickly.

Armstrong paused for a moment, then suspiciously asked, "Mustang, where is young Alphonse?"

Without hesitation Mustang answered him, "He is on the other side of the gate with his brother, destroying the second part of the gate. He asked me to destroy it on this side."

"They can never come back?" Hawkeye asked.

"Not anyway that I know of." Mustang answered quietly. Just then there was a loud bang behind them, and Roy felt the ground shake below them. Someone else was coming back through the gate. The impossible was happening, and not a moment to late. He turned and faced the gate. The tip of the rocket was just coming through, and Mustang prepared for it to be someone besides the Elrics.

The rocket was still heading up and up, and was not slowing down, when the door on the side of it burst open, and Al jumped out, catching himself with alchemy, and using a slide to descend safely. Al landed, and a small ball of flame came out of the gate, before the symbols died down again. Al was hunched over on the ground where he had landed, as if he was in pain. Mustang ran over to him, with Armstrong and Hawkeye close on his heels. They reached Al and he looked up at him, his face glazed with sharp tears.

"Al, where is Ed?" Mustang asked uncertainly. He had never thought that one would come back without the other. Neither one of the Elrics would willingly leave the other like this.

"He, He's on the other side. He wouldn't, wouldn't come. Said this was the only way." Al sobbed loudly. "He destroyed the other gate when I came through. There was nothing I could do to stop him. He, he tricked me." Al cried.

Mustang was shocked. So Ed had decided to stay on the other side after all. He could only imagine that the boy thought this was the only way. He looked at Al. The poor boy was so shaken. Roy took his coat off, and draped it around Al's shoulders. Hawkeye put her arms around the boy, and held him while he shook with grief. This was most defiantly one of the worst days Mustang could ever remember having, short of the terror he witnessed in Ishbal.

After a few minutes comforting the boy, Mustang decided it was his turn to bring up his end of the deal, and destroy the gate on this side. He took off his gloves and put them in his pocket. Armstrong got up and followed him.

"WAIT!" Al's voice rang out. "Wait. I want to help. I have to help." Al said stubbornly. Mustang smiled. He sounded so much like Ed just then. Roy nodded, then without a word turned and clapped his hands in a similar fashion that Ed did, before resting them just outside the gate. Armstrong took up position across for him, and Al did the same. The ground began to shake, then the gate began to sink into the ground, before it burst into millions of pieces, and scattered everywhere. The three alchemists stood up and examined their handy work. There was no way that gate would ever be put back together now.

Mustang walked over to Al. "What will you do now? Will you go back to stay with Winrey?" Mustang asked.

"I don't know. I thought of becoming a state alchemist like my brother, but I know he would want me to do that. I'll go back to Risenbal, then figure it out from there." Al replied.

"Do you remember what happened yet?" Mustang asked.

"Yes. I remember everything." Al's eyes started to tear up again.

Just then Winrey entered the room, and saw Al. "Al!" Winrey ran over. "Al. I didn't know what had happened to you. What happened to you?!" she said as she saw his appearance.

"Oh Winrey. I went through the gate after Ed. Then I came back." Al sighed.

"Through the gate? Where is Ed?" Winrey looked at his sad look. "Al. Where is he now?"

Al fell to his knees again, and Winrey sat next to him. "Al. Please, what happened? He was back. What happened?"

"He is on the other side of the gate." Winrey's face paled. A small sob escaped her and she hugged Al. Mustang turned to Hawkeye. "Can you please get a car for them, and a place to stay this evening? Oh, and a meeting with some _higher ups_?" he asked. Hawkeye nodded in understanding, and smiled kindly, before turning and walking away.

A few minutes later the car came, and Winrey and Al walked away. Mustang watched them go, musing on everything that had happened to them. He didn't see them again before they left for home.

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	3. The Other One

Three years later…

Three years later…

Ed rushed through the dark streets of Munich as fast as he could. Five men were behind him, but Ed was much to fast for them. _Damn them! Stop following me! I haven't got what you want. _He decided it would be a better idea to just turn around and face them then to keep running.

He stopped and looked at them. The five of the surrounded him, and he got a good look at each of their faces. Four of them he didn't recognize, but one of them he did. Roy Mustang's face looked back at him menacingly. Ed laughed. There was one man he didn't mind beating up.

"Ok, what do you guys want?" Ed asked loudly.

Mustang stepped forward. "You have some information that we want. An incident pertaining a certain, 'gate to Shamballa' that you need to tell us about." He said. Ed laughed again.

"I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about si…" Ed caught himself before calling him sir. He was used to calling that face sir. "If that is really why you have been chasing me, then I am sorry to disappoint you."

The Mustang look alike stepped forward smiled then said "I don't think so," and motioned for the other four to grab him. Ed was ready. The first one came towards him, and tried to grab one arm, but Ed side stepped him, and through him to the ground easily. The next attacker was just as easy to stop. Finally it came to just him and Mustang.

"Come on kid, I don't want to hurt you." Mustang lifted his coat slightly so that Ed could see the pistol on his belt.

"You won't have to." Ed said. He clapped his hands together, instinctively waiting for the reaction that used to always come, but as usual in this strange world, nothing happened. Ed sighed. "Oh ya, the old fashioned way. Guess I'll just have to run for it." Ed sprinted off in the opposite direction. Mustang pulled out his gun and fired it a couple times, but nothing hit, and he ran after Ed.

Ed had no idea where he was. He was unfamiliar with this part of the city. The man was right behind him, and might be able to get a shot off. He heard the sharp sound of a gunshot, and felt something bounce off his leg. He smiled to himself as he remembered Winrey. Her automail was the best in the world. He had been here four years, and nothing had gone wrong. And this wasn't the first time someone had shot him in the leg either.

Ed was so caught up in his brief thoughts about Winrey, and home, that he tripped and landed badly on his wrist, breaking it. He cursed, then got up slowly, and looked back at the man. He was slowing and pulling out his gun, but didn't expect him to run. But that was all Ed could do. He ran as hard as he could, but couldn't round the corner into an alley quick enough to avoid the shot. He felt the bullet bury itself into his left shoulder, and the pain made him stop before he was out of sight. Another shot went off, this time, the bullet went into his stomach. Ed kept his feet, but only barely. He took a step forward, the a third shot came, this time in his chest. Ed collapsed. His breath was painful and slow. Mustang came up to him.

"Foolish boy. Why did you run. You could have told me what I wanted and gone." Mustang shook his head then left. Ed tried to lay still. Tears rushed into his eyes, as he thought of his brother. He would never know. Al would go on thinking he was alive. What about Winrey? Ed imagined her, terrorizing the automail shops of central, looking for the perfect tool. He thought of his dead mother. He would be seeing her soon, if rumors about death were right. He laughed slightly thinking of how absurd it was. Mustang had killed him. The other one. He thought of his brother, and all that they had been through one more time, then took one raspy breath, and died.

Ok, ok don't panic yet, there is more to come. Please Review!


	4. Choices

That same day night on the other side…

He tossed in his sleep. "NO NO!" He screamed. Below downstairs someone woke up and began to climb the stairs. "Stop! Stop!" he called out again. The young man rolled of his bed. He was about 5'10, blonde hair, brown eyes, and his hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

"Brother!! No! Mustang! What are you doing! Brother!!" This time his own cries woke him. He lay there for a moment, before Winrey opened the door and stepped in.

"Al? Al are you alright?" she asked tentatively.

"Just a bad dream. It was so real though." Al relied.

"About Ed? Your connection is so strong, I sometimes wonder if you still see each other by your side. You know one time you said to me 'wow this auto mail is great, and motioned to your leg, then realized what you had said, and turned away. Like Ed was sending a message. I like to think he is still here with us." Winrey said.

"If that is so, then I hope dreams don't count." Al hinted grimly.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Thanks for getting up to check on me Winrey. Go back to sleep." Al said.

Al laid awake for quite sometime, thinking about the dream he had just had of Ed being shot on the other side, by Mustang. He didn't go back to sleep that night.

……………………………………………………………………………

It loomed up before him, huge and massive, foreboding and dark as it had always been. Ed laughed as the doors opened for him. So this was finally it. He was going to find out what was inside the gate, not just on the other side. The gate opened. Just inside of it stood two figures. As he walked forward, he recognized both of them. One was his mother. The other was Wrath. So Wrath had finally been killed. Good riddance.

He walked up to his mother and hugged her. "Mother it has been such a long time. Can you ever forgive me, for what we tried to do?" Ed asked.

"Oh Ed, there isn't anything to forgive. You were trying to do the right thing. Come with me now. Rest, finally." Ed's mother began to lead him away before something grabbed his arm. It was Wrath.

"There is another choice." Wrath said.

"Don't listen to him darling." She said.

Ed looked at them both, before turning to Wrath. "What do you mean?"

"I can take you through the gate. To the other side. To your brother." He said quietly.

"And what would you want in return?" Ed asked

"Just to be forgiven. I just want to go into the gate. Without being forgiven, I can't rest. I can't stay in the gate. I just want to rest." Wrath said pleadingly.

"Is this true mother? Can I go see Al?" Ed looked at her.

"Yes. You can. You would be given another life. It is up to you." She replied.

Ed stood there for minutes, caught between the two decisions. Another chance to live! And with his brother. He had to do it. But what about his mother? What about her. He looked at her.

"Mother, I'm going back. I want to live. But someday, I will be back. I will miss you though." She nodded, then seemed to dissolve.

"Lets go." Wrath grabbed his hand, and pulled him hard into the gate. In a flash, Ed saw Many people, ones he knew and ones he didn't, that were in the gate, then they were standing on the other side of it.

"Walk until you can't see the gate anymore, then use your alchemy to make a door. Go thorough it, and you will be back where you were before you came through the gate to the other side." Wrath said.

"Thank you Wrath. I for…"

"Wait. There is one more thing. You gave you leg to have your mother back. Well you did, and then she was taken again. It seems only fitting you should have it back." Ed looked down, and gasped. Both legs here flesh, human flesh.

"You still have your brother, so can't have your arm." Wrath added.

" Thank you Wrath. I don't deserve your kindness and help. I forgive you, for everything that happened, and I am sorry." Wrath smiled, then dissolved like Ed's mother. Ed stayed there for a moment, before walking straight away from the gate. When he could no longer see it he clapped his hands together. The usual burst of energy leaped into his hands, and he put them on the floor. A door popped up, and Ed opened it. He was back.

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	5. The General

Ed opened the door

Ed opened the door. It was dark on the other side. He stepped through, and immediately fell down. The gravity was different here he guessed. He took a moment to get situated. His eyes adjusted to the dark, and he began to recognize his surroundings. He was sure he was in Central. And by the looks of it, in some weird alley.

He slowly stood up and walked around a bit. Walking felt a little weird, and he realized that his mechanical leg had probably out grown him since Winrey had put it on. He looked at his clothing. Ridiculous. He clapped his hands and changed into something more suitable. Black pants and shirt as he used to, but decided to where a blue cloak, at least until he had talked to the right people. He didn't want to be recognized at this point in time.

He decided to get some sleep before he did anything, so he made his way to an inn that he knew about. It hadn't changed a bit in the years he had spent away. He went up to the inn keeper. He was a short, pudgy old man, who was bustling around serving everyone. "What can I get you young man?" the innkeeper said while looking up at Ed.

"Dinner, and a bed for the night." Ed replied. The innkeeper nodded, then showed him to a table. It was then that Ed realized he didn't have any money to pay the man with. "Sir? I don't have any money with me, but if you have anything you need to be fixed, I can fix it with alchemy as payment." The innkeeper nodded, then walked away. A few minutes later he came back with his wife behind him, and some tools and house hold objects in hand. There was a hammer, a vase, a chair, a screw driver, and a few other items that they had. Ed fixed them all quickly, then ate.

A few minutes later, a young girl walked up to him shyly. "Um, excuse me sir, but I saw you fix the innkeeper's things, and I was wondering if you could fix my dolly." She held up a small doll, whose head was partially ripped off. He smiled, and picked up the doll.

"Of course I'll fix it." He said. He set the doll on the table, clapped his hands, and the doll was as good as new. A few other people saw what he had done, and asked him to fix their things. They offered to pay, him, and Ed obliged. By the end of the evening, Ed had a sack full of gold pieces from his work.

……………………………………………………………………

Al couldn't sleep that night. He was too afraid. The last two nights he had dreams about his older brother dying, and had woken up, knowing that they were true. The dreams were so intense, and so detailed, that he knew they could not be simple worrisome dreams.

He was certain his brother was dead. He had seen him shot down in an alley on the other side, by none other than the other Mustang. He had seen him approach the gate, and when it opened, their mother was there to greet them, along with another figure that Al didn't recognize right off the bat, but he knew he knew. Then the dream had skipped ahead so that he could see Ed, in the darkness somewhere. He had seen that he had two human legs, so he knew that Ed must truly be dead.

He lay there awake for hours, not daring to sleep. He finally decided to go outside. He walked down the stairs of Winrey's house, and paused in the kitchen. There was someone else awake in the house. Al walked cautiously into the sitting area. Winrey was sitting in a chair looking out over Risembool. From that view you could see everything. But Winrey was only looking at one thing. The burnt remnants of Ed and Al's old house. She was shaking slightly too, and Al could tell that she had been crying.

Al walked up to her. "Winrey? Are you alright?" He sat down next to her, and she buried her head into his shoulder.

"Al. Al I, I think Ed is dead." Al looked at her. She looked up. "The last few nights, I have seen him. Mustang, the one on the other side, He shot him. Then, then I saw at this gateway. Your mother was there. He, he looked so happy with her." She put her head back into his shoulder.

"I have had the same dreams. I think they are true Winrey, but we will never know for sure." Al said.

"Al, I miss him so much. Why did he leave? Why didn't he try to find another way, so both of you could come back? He could have come back." Winrey cried.

"I don't know Winrey. We will never know. We just have to trust that he did what he thought was right. He did what he could." Al and Winrey sat there al night, looking out across the fields.

………………………………………………………………………………

It was morning. Ed woke up early, and prepared himself. He was going to try and find someone that he knew, and go see Mustang. Even though he was uncertain about seeing the face of the man that had killed him, he knew that if Mustang was in any position of power, he would try to help him.

Ed through his cloak on, and went out into the crisp morning air. We walked to the market area, where he might meet someone he knew. It was worth a try.

Hawkeye was out buying apples. Mustang LOVED his apples. He was almost obsessive about them. She knew exactly where she would get them to. There was this one vendor, his name was David Dane. What a stupid name, she thought. But even so, he had the best apples around. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a man she thought she recognized. Then she laughed. She had thought she had seen Ed. But Ed was gone. And that couldn't possibly be him anyways. His brother would be by his side, and he would be about a foot shorter. That man was at least 6'2. She laughed, as she remembered Ed. Always freaking out about his height, but loyal, hard working, and loving.

She kept moving through the crowd, and forgot about the strange man. But the man didn't forget about her. The man that she had thought for a moment was Ed, was in fact Ed. He had seen Hawkeye. She hadn't realized it was him though. He followed her. She stopped in front of one of the fruit stands, and listened to her conversation. "How about, five apples?" She asked.

"The man in charge laughed. Old Roy Mustang hungry again? How do you manage that old general?" The man laughed.

Hawkeye smiled. "Oh I manage him somehow." She laughed. She paid for the apples, then turned to go back where she came from. Ed followed her. She walked into the state building, and he came shortly after. A young woman stopped him before he could walk into Mustang's office. It was the lady from the library, the one that had copied Marcoh's book for him. He smiled at her, and at the memories.

"You need an appointment to see General Mustang. Do you have one, Mr…"

"Can you just tell him an old friend and colleague really needs to see him? It is important, and I am sure he will understand." Ed didn't give her his name.

"Can I tell him your name?" She asked.

"Just tell him I used to be short. I think he'll understand that." Ed smiled, wondering if he would.

The girl nodded. "Ok then, just one moment." She opened the door and stepped into the office. Ed heard voices on the other side.

"His name?" Mustang said.

"He wouldn't say." The girl said

"Why are you wasting my time with it then?" Mustang's voice again.

"He said it was important. That he used to be short or something."

There was a pause, then "Hawkeye, you can leave. Send him in." The two women left, then Ed walked in.

He looked at Mustang, and a sudden rage came over him. Even though sub consciously he knew this was not that man that had killed him, he couldn't help himself. He walked swiftly up to Mustang, and just as he looked up, punched him as hard as possible. It felt good too. Satisfying. Like a little bit of revenge, for the incredible pain of dying. He hoped, that he had punched him hard enough, that the one on the other side could feel it.

Mustang was hit so hard he was on the ground, holding his head. He took a moment to regain his breath, then stood up. "WHO THE HELL ARE! AND WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!! ARE YOU TRYING TO GET ARRESTED OR SOMETHING! IF SO, DON'T WASTE MY TIME!!" Mustang went on a little bit more, then calmed down for a moment.

"I am sorry. It is a very hard thing for me to explain, and I would understand if you don't forgive me in the end, as it was a completely foolish, and useless thing for me to do." Ed replied solemnly.

"Ok, well, start off by telling me who you are, then what you want." Mustang sighed.

"So you really don't recognize me? I wouldn't expect you to. No one is going to know it is me, until I tell them I think." Ed said slyly.

"Ok, so I know you, but not really. Go on."

"Mustang. My name is Edward Elric." Ed said quickly, deciding not to beat around the bush.

Mustang waited for more, then looked up at him, and squinted at his face. "I, my God! Ed? What the hell happened?" Mustang exclaimed upon realizing it was him.

"It is a long, somewhat sad story." From there Ed continued on to tell Mustang of what had happened after Al and Ed went through the gate, briefly went over his life in Germany, then told in detail the night of his death. "The man that stepped forward was you. Or at least your double. He asked me about the gate, and everything pertaining to it. I denied any knowledge of it, but when he persisted, I ran." Mustang's face was a mask. Ed got to the part where he died. "You, he shot me three times. Left shoulder, stomach, and finally the chest. I died a couple minutes later."

Mustang took a moment, then cleared his throat and asked, "So how did you get back?"

"You know of the gate?" Mustang nodded.

"Your brother told me all about it."

"When I arrived at the gate after dying, there were two people waiting for me. Wrath and my mother. I was offered two choices. Go into the gate with my mother, and be dead. I can't say I wasn't tempted. Everlasting peace. Sounds great. But Wrath offered me something too. He told me he could take my through the gate. To come over here again. To live out my life here. All I had to do was forgive him. I decided to come back here. To see my brother again. And Winrey. That was last night. I followed Second Lieutenant Hawkeye here."

"It is first Lieutenant now." They sat there for a few moments then Mustang said, "God Ed, it's great to see you again. Believe it or not, a lot of people here missed you."

"You one of them?" Ed asked.

"Yes. I missed your short stature, sarcastic remarks, fierce loyalty, and ever entertaining nature. But I see that short no longer fits you."

Ed smiled, "Ya, I grew a bit there. My automail was so short it was making me limp, but it was sturdy as ever. Thank you Winrey."

"I didn't hear a limp." Mustang observed.

"Wrath said that since my mother was not returned, there was a loop hole, and I could have my leg back. There was nothing he could do about the arm though."

"Will you become a state alchemist again? Things have changed a lot." Mustang said.

"I don't know. First, I have to see my brother. Is he at Risembool?" Ed asked.

"Yes."

"Then I will leave this evening."

"You'll need an escort." Ed started to interrupt. "I haven't seen your brother in a long time anyway, so I will go."

Ed smiled. _Wow, Mustang has changed._ "But don't get the idea I like you. You may be tall now, but to me, your still the small little boy I recruited."

Ed rolled his eyes and got up.


End file.
